Dahi Handi celebrations: On the occasion of Janmashtami in Mumbai, as many as 195 'Govindas' (participants of the Dahi Handi) were injured in different incident while celebrating Dahi Handi and several are admitted to hospitals, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said on Friday.
Several were admitted to hospital
The BMC has reported that during the Dahi Handi celebrations organized on the occasion of Krishna Janmashtami in Mumbai, 195 Govindas were injured in different incidents. Out of these, 18 were admitted to hospitals, and the remaining 177 others were discharged.
Prior to this, on Thursday, BMC had reported that during the Dahi Handi celebrations, 35 Govindas were injured in various incidents and a nine-year-old girl had died as a balcony of a house collapsed on a crowd of people watching a Dahi Handi event in Buldhana district. According to the news agency ANI, four Govindas received serious injuries while 22 are undergoing treatment.
How is Dahi Handi celebrated?
The Dahi Handi festival is being celebrated with traditional fervour to mark Krishna Janmashtami, the birth anniversary of Lord Krishna. In Dahi Handi, earthen pots (handi) filled with yogurt (dahi), butter (makhan), and other dairy products are suspended at a height.
As part of the celebrations, Govindas or Dahi Handi participants form multi-tiered human pyramids to break 'dahi handis' (earthen pots) suspended in the air. This tradition symbolizes Lord Krishna's playfulness and innocence, as well as his love for dairy products like butter and yogurt.
The celebrations, which began in the morning, continue till night. Competitions are organised at various locations across the city, offering cash prizes for the Govinda groups that succeed in breaking dahi handis. During the formation of human pyramids, there are chances of participants falling down and injuring themselves, sometimes critically.
Also Read: Maharashtra: Nine-year-old dies, 35 Govindas injured in different Dahi Handi incidents
